Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, a former governor of Sokoto State, has urged the people of Northern Nigeria to put aside their differences and seize control of their destiny. He thinks that now is the moment for people to work together for prosperity, harmony, and peace.
When the Arewa Cohesion for Peace, Unity and Development Initiative was formally unveiled in Kaduna’s Arewa House on Thursday, Bafarawa made the request.
Together, with a recommitment to inclusive development and a shared vision, the northern region can conquer its obstacles, according to Bafarawa. He reiterated that the Initiative’s goal is to improve people’s lives, not to influence politics.
He made it clear that the Initiative will back anybody who shares its principles and goals, regardless of their political leanings, even though it is still non-partisan.
“Our goal is not to cause conflict, but to promote understanding and cooperation… He emphasised that their objective goes beyond party politics.
The current scenario in the region is troubling, according to Bafarawa. He portrayed a bleak picture of escalating poverty, instability, loss of values, and rampant youth unemployment. The North, he said, must stop whining and start doing something.
A fresh story is beginning to take shape in our area; the world should see it. A story that embodies bravery, strength, and metamorphosis.
That affirms the possibility of peace. It is possible to achieve unity. We can achieve development, I assure you. Peace, he continued, was more than the absence of conflict; it also required fairness, conversation, and justice.
In addition, Bafarawa detailed the Arewa Cohesion Initiative’s primary objectives, which include encouraging harmonious coexistence, establishing forums for discussion, including young people, and collaborating with governmental and non-profit development organisations.
The occasion was characterised by Dr. Abdullahi Idris, the Initiative’s Director-General, as the commencement of a revolutionary voyage founded on the principles of peacebuilding, unity, and sustainable development.